From World Afropedia
Nilo-Saharan | |
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Geographic distribution: | Central and East Africa |
Linguistic classification: | Negro-Egyptian |
Subdivisions: |
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ISO 639-2 / 5: | ssa |
The Nilo-Saharan languages are a family of Afrikan languages spoken by some 50 million people, mainly in the upper parts of the Chari and Nile rivers, including historic Nubia, north of where the two tributaries of Nile meet. The languages extend through 17 nations in the northern half of Africa: from Algeria to Benin in west; from Libya to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the center; and from Egypt to Tanzania in the east.
Eight of its proposed constituent divisions (excluding Kunama, Kuliak, and Songhay) are found in the modern nation of Sudan, through which the Nile River flows. As indicated by its hyphenated name, Nilo-Saharan is a family of the African interior, including the greater Nile basin and the central Sahara desert.